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DPS to lose 32 personnel
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Posted on Apr 09 2008
The Department of Public Safety will lose at least 32 of its police and fire personnel to a possible deployment in Kuwait.
The initial count of DPS personnel who have received the Army Reserve’s call to active duty represents nearly 20 percent of the police and fire workforce on Saipan.
The Army reservists are expecting to ship out in August 2008.
“This deployment call will put a manpower drain in our police and fire workforce,” acting Commissioner Clyde K. Norita told Gov. Benigno R. Fitial in a letter.
DPS must begin hiring and training new officers as soon as possible. The recruitment of cadets is seen to take about a month. The regular academy time is set at six months. However, Norita said, the academy can be run in half the time.
“There is nothing we can do about the alert notice. Those reservists will have to go, and they have got a job when they come back. Meantime, we need to maintain peace and safety here,” said Norita.
Another problem facing DPS is the lack of money to recruit and train new personnel. A cadet’s training, including equipment, books and instructor fees, costs about $13,000 to $15,000. In addition, salary costs about $15,000 per cadet.
DPS is looking at hiring 20 police officers and 20 fire personnel to replace the Army reservists who will be gone for a still undisclosed length of time.
Yesterday, Norita met with acting Gov. Timothy P. Villagomez and Finance Secretary Eloy S. Inos to discuss the department’s recruitment needs. DPS also plans to ask the Legislature to sanction the hiring.
Norita was appointed commissioner of the Department of Public Safety last month, replacing former commissioner Rebecca Warfield.
Upon taking over, Norita said, he found a department facing serious funding and morale issues. “I find that I can restore morale within a reasonable time given the latitude to work and lead these personnel. Funding, on the other hand, is a critical concern, but I assure you that DPS stands ready to work within the CNMI’s projected revenue collection,” he told the governor.
